Last month's tsunami altered their plans, but two Wofford College students from Orangeburg still plan to visit Thailand later this month.

Rocky Cassone, son of Dr. and Mrs. Rocco Cassone; David Williams, son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Williams, both of Orangeburg, and 22 other Wofford students originally planned to visit the popular European resort of Phuket Island, an area Cassone says was hit badly by the tsunami.

The group will now travel to areas several hundred miles to the north, including Koh Chang Island and the cities of Bangkok and Chaing Mai, as well as to Hong Kong. The group is going as part of the Wofford Interim Program and will be accompanied by their business and economics professor.

"I'm excited to be going. It's an opportunity to experience a really different culture," said Cassone, who has visited Europe twice but is making his first trip to Asia.

Williams has done some international traveling, too, but not yet to Asia. There is no place on Earth quite like Thailand, said Williams, who is thrilled at the opportunity to visit this beautiful, exotic land.

"My brother went last year and had a great time," Williams said. "He inspired me to go."

Immediately after the tsunami, some were worried about the Wofford students making the trip, not just because of the potential for more earthquakes and tsunamis but the danger of disease in the hardest-hit areas, Cassone said. One student withdrew, but Cassone said he wasn't really worried about it because the students won't be near the devastated areas.

Wofford students have a month-long break between first and second semesters. They can either take a class on campus or travel.

The students prepared for their trip by learning about the history, geography, politics and architecture of Thailand and some of the various sights they will be seeing.

"We're not going to be there just to have a good time," Cassone said.

While cognizant of the human and property toll of the tsunami tragedy, the group understands that, in practical terms, it's too early for international travelers to make a missions trip to help rebuild the hardest-hit areas, Cassone said.

"Our teacher said the best thing we could do is go on our trip and give Thailand's tourism industry a boost," he said. "That's the best way we could help out right now."

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